Gathering machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J 0HN GEORGEHERRMANN @TTORNEY May 17, 1949. J.a. HERRMANN GATHERING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1948 ob nu llll lllll ll.

y 1949- J. G. HERRMANN v2,470,557

GATHERING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1948 2 Sheets$heet 2 I INVENTOR JOHNGames HERRMAM ATTORN EY Patented May 17, 1949 GATHERING MACHINE JohnGeorge Herrmann, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor to Conveyor & MachineryManufacturers, Inc.

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 24, 1948,Serial No. 16,731

18 Claims.

This invention relates to gathering machines for collecting cards orsheets and distributing them in groups or stacks upon a conveyorcollector.

It is primarily within the contemplation of my invention to provide anapparatus, in a machine of the above-mentioned category, that willassure the correct predetermined number of cards in each group or stackoperatively assembled'by the machine. More particularly, it is an objectof my invention to provide the said apparatus in combination withgathering machines such as those disclosed in the patent applicationsSerial No. 742,891 and No. 4,100, filed April 4, 1947 and January 24,1948, respectively.

In the above-mentioned aspect of my invention, it is an important objectto attain the said objective by means of a positive and continuouslyoperating stop-motion and/or signalling device which will beautomatically set into operation upon the failure of the machine todeliver a card in accordance with a predetermined timing sequence-whichis economical of space, and which will not interfere with the normaloperation of the machine.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a self-containedgathering, distributing, and stop-motion and signalling unit, of simpleand compact design, that will be capable of effectively accomplishingthe aforesaid objectives.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the drawings andthe description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of self-contained unitincluding my invention, fragments of the delivery hoppers and of thetable being broken away for clarity, the boxes for receiving the stacksof cards being shown by dotdash lines.

Figure 2 is a semi-schematic perspective of the drive means for theconveyor portions of the device of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a somewhat enlarged front view of the left end of the unitof Fig. 1, looking from line 33.

Figure 4 is a somewhat enlarged front view of one of the stop-motionsections of the unit of Fig. 1, the view being taken lookingsubstantially from line 4-4.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the machine taken substantially alongline 55 of Fig. 4, the oscillating transfer arm being shown in itsretracted position operatively feeding a card to the discharge rollers.

Figure 6 is a section like Fig. 5, the oscillating transfer arm beingshown in its forward delivery position and the discharge rollers in theprocess of discharging a, card.

Figure 7 is a section like Fig. 6, but with no card being delivered, andwith the detecting finger of the stop-motion apparatus in itscircuitopening position, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section of Fig. 4 taken substantially alongline 8-8, showing a cam-type of actuator for oscillating the transferarm.

Figure 1 shows an arrangement of two delivery hoppers l0 and I!containing banks of cards I2 and I3, respectively, the lowermost card ineach bank being adapted for removal by the adjacent pair of constantlyrotating rubber-faced transfer rollers I4 and I5 (see also Figs. 4-7)mounted on the oscillating transfer arms l6 pivotally carried by shaftlleach removed card I8 being delivered to a discharge member includingtwo coacting discharge rollers l9 and 20 for discharge intointermittently moving boxes 2| (to be hereinafter again referred to)-the operation of the transfer and discharge rollers being substantiallyin accordance with the machine described in the aforesaid patentapplication, Serial No. 742,891. The said transfer arms I6 oscillatebetween two limiting positions-the retracted position shown in Fig. 5where the transfer rollers l4 and I5 receive the cards from the hopper,and the forward or discharge position shown in Figure 6 where thedischarge rollers l9 and 20 receive the cards from the transfer rollersl4 and I5.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the members above-referred toare part of a selfcontained unitary structure including a table withreceiving and discharge ends, box conveyors and pushers, drives for theconveyor and other moving mechanism, and structure supports therefor,all as will more clearly hereinafter appear. Disposed below the saidhoppers Ill and I I and extending also forwardly therefrom is the table22 containing the loading platform 23 and the discharge portion 24. Thesaid loading platform is disposed at right angles with respect to thebody of the table, and has a continuous conveyor loading belt 25 movingat right angles to the longitudinal extent of the table. Flanking saidloading conveyor 25 are the tWo parallel guides 26 and 21 secured toloading table 23 for guiding boxes 2i that are operatively placed uponsaid conveyor 25. When boxes 2! (which are subsequently to receivestacks of cards) move rearwardly towards the table, they are interceptedby the longitudinal rear guide wall 28, thereby positioning the boxes tobe engaged by the box pusher bars 29 moving longitudinally within slot38 of the table 22, said slot being disposed substantially midwaybetween the said rear longitudinal guide wall 28 and the frontlongitudinal guide wall 3|. There are a plurality of said bars 29 inpredetermined spaced relationthe spacing being determined in accordancewith a predetermined relative timing between the loading belt 25, thespeed of said bars 29, and the movement of the oscillating transferlevers IG all as will more clearly hereinafter appear. The boxes 2| arecarried along the table, in spaced relation, by the pusher bars 29,which move intermittentlythe arrangement being such that there is alwaysa box operatively in front and below each of the hoppers Ill and II toreceive a predetermined succession of cards of stacks l2 and I3,respectively. As the boxes continue their travel along table 22, theyfinally land on discharge table 24, from which they aremanually orotherwise removed. It is thus apparentthat by successively loading boxeson belt 25, the boxes are brought to the main or body portion of table22, intermittently carried therealong to predetermined card receivingstations, are held at such stations until a predetermined number ofcards are delivered, and then are moved towards the discharge end of thetable. During this entire operation, the transfer rollers l4 andl5anddischarge rollers I9 and are continuously rotating, and the.transfer arms It are operatively oscillating to receive thedischargecards from the hoppers, all in a manner describedin said priorapplication Serial No. 742,891.

Figures. 1, Zand 3 indicate the drive mechanism for the apparatusabove-described. A source of power, notshown cohhected to belt 32 drivespulley 3 3 which is keyed on to shaft 3.4. The latter is connectedthrough pulley 35 and belt 35 to belt 31 which drives the dischargeroller shaft 38, the coactingdischarge roller shaft 39.

being similarly drivenv by adlfive. not shown. The shaft 34 isalsoconnectedthrough gears and 4| to shaft 42,, supported-by bearing43.the said shaft 42 having keyed thereon the fixed sprocket wheel 44,the intermittentsprocket wheel and drum 45 being loosely mounted oversaid shaft 42, the forward portion of ,which is supported by bearing 45.The -continuously moving chain 41 is also in operative engagement withsprocket wheels 48 and 49, the latter being keyed to shaft 50 theforward end of which contains the fixed sprocket wheel 5! connected bychain 52 to the sprocket wheel 53 driving shafts 54 and 55 through gearsElie-said shaft 55, carrying the roller 5! on which thesaid loadingconveyor belt 25 is operatively mounted. It is thus apparent that chain41 is continuously moving, causing the said loading belt 25. also to be.in continuous motion. Thesaid discharge roller shafts 38 and 39 are alsocontinuously moving, through their connection with suitabledrivemechanisms. The drive mechanism for the, reciprocating transfer arms l6and the transfer rollershafts 58 and 59 is similar to that described inthe aforesaid patent applicationserial No. 742, 891, and could bevdriven byany driving, mechanism known. in the art.

Attached to and extending forwardly from said link chain 4'! arethespaced bears 50, these coming successively into engagement with the fourlugs xtendi ee wardly omt e m portion 62 ofthe sprocket wheel 45 Thesaid '64 and 66 being affixed to shaft 67.

bars 60 thus cause the entire sprocket Wheel 45 to rotateintermittently, that is, only during the period of such engagement-theengagement terminating when the bars 60 tangentially slip off the lugsupon reaching the vertical portion of their path of travel, as indicatedat 63 in Fig. 3. This rotation of sprocket wheel 45 caused by the abovedescribed action .of bars 60 causes the sprocket wheel 64 to rotatethrough interconnecting chain 65 and sprocket wheel 66-wheels Mountedover sprocket wheel 64 is the intermittently actuated box moving chain68 in engagement with the oppositely. disposed sprocket wheel 69 looselymounted over; said shaft 50. The said chain 68 carriesthereontheabove-mentioned pusher bars 29, these preferably each consisting of avertical arm 10 anda base portion H constituting a link inthe said chain68. It is thus apparent that although the said pusher bars 29 areadapted to actuateboxes with Whichthey come into engagement, in,themanner above described, they nevertheless are t. ri l mounted, beinslightly movable due to the general flexibility tov the chainfiB. Thisconstructionenables each pusher bar to yield slightly when contacting a.ox, hereby. e i inat ng the dan er of. marrin or mutilating theboxintheeyent ofa sudden engagement therewith.

The -,arrangement ,aboye. described accordingly enables the.continuously moving. sprocket chain. 41 to impart. an. intermittentmovementtothe cha nv 6.8. ndthepusher bars -carried. thereby- The pitchof tile-lilies.Si t-e barsZS as well as that of the bars 60 on chainvflis,predetermined.so as tepermit he boxes to be pushed. aprcdeterin d dit nc ong thetablenso that each.

box willbe,successivelybrought into operative registry with thehop-pefs. lo. and! lthe pitch, or the said bars 60 determining theintervalsbew n ncr nts.

from the hoppers, and the more cards will be fed into each box.

ttache to the ame, 12 0f the machin i he t 9narv sho 1.3;..constitutin apart of. the.

and forwardly inclined, the foremost terminalportion 15 being preferablyslightly below and e nd, up ermost.. entral disch rs point 16 ofthelowerrolierlfl... Aflixed .to the said trans.-

fer. a ms r.e..the brackets these carryin the shaft Nippon, which arerotatively mounted;

e et c or. finserSJS... .Rotatively mounted on each said frame 12 is theswitch-actuator lever.

mounted at 81 and having anv upper arcuate portionv 8. isposed. partiallaround shaft 39. The said lever rests upon the springswitch arm 83operatively attached-tattle micro-switch 8.4.

In thengrmal condition of thgmicro-switch 84,. the said spring arm 83'thereof is inclined away from. the switch asshownwin Figs. 5. andfi, and

yi ldably holds the saidvlevernflllinits normally. retractedpositipn.,-shown.in said Figs. 5 and 6.v When the said lever 80isyoperativelymoved into.

its... projectedor forward position (in a manner to. be hereinafterdescribed) shown in, .igur,e--'7,

the lever willengage ar fiaandmove ittowardsthe micro switch. 84.,taopgerativelyaotuata the. switch. The micro-switch 84.. i -.in..serieswith,

Obviously, the greater the, distance betweenbars 60; the longertheperiod, a h box w llr r ain in po i ionto receive cards.

a circuit containing an electric motor which in turn operates the belt32 and drives the conveyor mechanism above described. The drawings donot illustrate the wiring diagram nor the switchs connection with themotor since such a circuit is old in the art and need not be describedother than to state that the micro-switch 84 is connected to amotor-controlling circuit. Similarly, the said micro-switch can beconnected to an electric light signalling device.

It is preferred that the terminal 85 of the switch actuator lever 88 bedisposed rearwardly of the center line 86 joining the two centers ofshafts 38 and 39. The length of the detector finger it is such that whenthe transfer arm i6 is in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 5, theterminal of finger 19 will be directly above and engageable with thewall 74. However, when the transfer arm I8 is in its forward position,as shown in Fig. 7, the terminal of the finger 19 will drop within thespace between the terminal 76 of the wall "M and the terminal 85 of thelever 8|], and will engage said terminal 85 of the lever to bring itinto the projected position shown in Fig. 7 where it actuates themicro-switch 84.

When a card or other sheet of paper is, during its path of travel,operably supported between the transfer rollers I4 and i5 and the wall14 of the shoe 13 or the lower discharge roller 26, the said finger l9will rest upon said card N3, the card constituting a barrier between thefinger 79 and lever 80. And in this position, the lever 38 is in itsretracted position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and yieldably held in suchposition by the arm 83. However, in the event the transfer rollers l4and it fail to take up a sheet from the coacting hoppers E8 or ii, therewill be nothing to support said finger it when the transfer arm i5 is inits forward position, and accordingly the finger will enter the spacebetween the terminals of wall 14 and the lever 80, and actuate the leverand the micro-switch 84, to stop the machine, or flash on a signal.However, under normal operating conditions, when cards are continuouslybeing transferred in their intended sequence, there will be no suchactuation of the switch and consequently no interruption to theoperation of the machine.

Obviously, when the machine stops, the chain 4'! will cease itsoperative movement, and matters will remain at a stand-still until thetrouble has veen located and remedied. In other words, there is nopossibility whatsoever that any of the boxes 2i will contain less thanthe predetermined amount of cards in each stack, since a single skipwill stop the machine. Nor can the boxes contain more than thepredetermined amount of cards in view of the fact that the spacing ofbars 60 determines the period during which cards can be fed at a knownrate of feeding.

It is necessary that the said terminal 85 of the switch actuator lever80 be below the discharge point between rollers l9 and 2llthat is, belowthe uppermost point 16 on said roller 28. With this arrangement, a cardl8 being transferred from rollers M and [5 to discharge rollers l9 and26 will have an unobstructed path except for the detector finger 19, andeach of these is sufliciently light in weight to enable the forwardlymoving card 8 to lift it in the manner above indicated. The card 18 thuscan not possibly contact the lever 80, and it is only the detectorfinger 19 which can actuate said lever 80 when there is no card presentto lift said finger above the terminal 85 of the lever.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by wayof example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations andmodifications may be made therein which will still be comprised withinits spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is notlimited to any specific form or manner of practicing same, exceptinsofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a gathering machine of the type having a movablecard-transfer member for moving a card to a predetermined dischargeposition, a discharge member disposed forwardly of said card-transfermember and spaced therefrom for receiving and supporting a card beingoperatively moved by said transfer member toward said dischargeposition, an electric switch, a lever operatively engageable with saidswitch and movable between a predetermined switch-actuating position anda nonswitch-actuating position, a movably mounted detector fingeradjacent said lever and adapted to engage the lever for operativelymoving it into its said switch-actuating position, said lever beingnormally yieldably held in its said nonswitch-actuating position, thepath of said card in moving towards said discharge position beingbetween the said lever and said finger, whereby the card will constitutea separating barrier between the lever and finger.

2. The combination according to claim 1, the discharge member includingtwo coacting rotating rollers for operatively receiving therebetween thesaid card, the peripherally coacting portions of said rollers beingdisposed at said discharge position, the said lever being spaced fromsaid coacting portions of the rollers, whereby the lever will be out ofthe path of said card.

3. The combination according to claim 2, said rollers being positionedone above the other. said lever being spaced below the level of saiddischarge position, said finger being pivotally mounted behind saiddischarge member, the pivotal mounting for the detector finger beingabove the level of said discharge position.

4. The combination according to claim said finger being of a lengthsufficient to extend below the level of said discharge position foroperative engagement with said lever.

5. The combination according to claim 4, said finger being attached tosaid movable card-transfer member.

6. The combination according to claim 1, the discharge member includinga stationary wall spaced rearwardly from said lever for slidablysupporting said card, the said finger and its mounting being movablebetween predetermined forward and retracted positions, the finger beingengageable with said wall when in its said retracted position and withsaid lever when the finger is in its said forward position, whereby inthe absence of a card the finger will concomitantly acuate said leverand switch.

'7. The combination according to claim 6, the discharge member furtherincluding two coacting rotating rollers for operatively receivingtherebetween the said card, the peripherally coacting portions of saidrollers being disposed at said discharge position, said rollers beingpositioned one above the other, said lever being spaced below the levelof said discharge position, said detector finger being pivotally mountedthe pivotal mounting for the detector finger being above the level ofsaid discharge position, said finger being of a discharge. position andadjacentthecommon vein tical center: lineof Jthe bWOxl'OllEl'S;

10;The combination according to cl-aim= 9, the

discharge membei further including a stationarywall-spaced: rearwardlyfrom the lever and having aforward upper terminal-edge-spaceda=predetermined distancerearwardly-from-the said ter minal ofthe lever:

-11.- Thecombination according to claim 10; the

said finger and its mounting being movable be tween predeterminedforward and retractedpositions, the fingerbeing of asuflicient length toenter thesaidspacebetween the-saiddever and wall terminals tooperatively -engage the lever terminal whenthe finger is-in-itssaidforward position, the fi-n-ger being engageable with the said wall whenit is in said retracted-position.

12. The combination according toclaim 11, the said wall beingslightlyupwardiy-andforwardly inclined, the forward terminal of l thewall being above the said terminal of the lever;

13. In a gathering machine of the typehaving a hopper for feeding cardsto'a card-transfer member, the combination era-movabletransferarmmovable between predeterminedforw-ard dis charging and retractedrecei-vingpositions, a-pair of transfer rollersrotatably'mountedthereonfor operatively receiving a a card i from saidhopper and moving it forwardly, a-dischargemember disposed forwardly ofsaid transfer armate-predetermined discharge position and-spaced fromsaid arm for receiving and supporting -a-card' being operatively movedby'sa-id transfer rollers toward said dischargeposition, an electricswitch, a lever operatively engageable witlrsaid switchand movablebetween a predetermined switchactuating position and anon+switoh-aetuating position, a detector finger pivotallyvmountedonsaid transfer arm, said finger "being adapted-to engage the leverforoperatively movingit irrto" its said switch-actuating position when-thetrans fer arm is in its said forward-.Eposition-and being out ofengagement therewithwhenthetranster arm is in its said retractedposition', said lever- 8 being; normally yieldably. heldin its said 1none switch-actuating position, the pathofsald cardin movingatowardssaid discharge" position-beingbetween the said lever and-said: finger,wherebythecard will constitute a separating barrierbc tween the leverand finger.

14. The combination according toclaim13'; the-said transferarm'beingplvotally mounted;

the-said discharge member including two coast ing rotating rollers-foroperatively receiving therebetween the said card, the peripherallycoactlng portions of said rollers being disposed-at said dischargeposition, a stationary frame spaced forwardly from said transfer arm,said-lever being pivotally mounted on the-frame.

15. The combination according to claim 14;- said switch 1 being attachedto the frame, theswitch having aspring arm normallyyieldablyholding thelever position.

16. The combination according to-cl-aim 15;

in its said non-switch-actuating said discharge member further including:3. --sta tionarywall affixed to said frame-behind"said" disohargerollers, said wall-being adapted to slid ably support a card operativelymoving between the-transfer and dischargerollers, said fingerbeing-adapted to engage said wall'when thetransforum is in its saidretracted position.

1'7. The combination according to claim 16,

- eachpair of said rollers being insubstantial-vertical alignment,wherebythe path of travel of the card will be substantially horizontal,thepivotal mounting of-the finger being above 'the' said path of travel,whereby-the-detecting-finger :wlll--gravitationa1ly rest upon the cardmoving;

along said path of travel.

18'. The combination according to claim 1-3;

further-providedwith a table extending below"- and forwardly of saidhopper, a longitudinally slotted portion therealong, an intermittentlymoving conveyorchainbelow-the table-and containing-spaced pusher barsextending vertically through said slotted portion, said'pusher barsbeingyieldablymounted on said chain and being;

adapted to engage-boXes-disposed on' sald table,

and-drivingmeans connected to the conveyorchain andthe saidtransfer-rollers.-

JOHN GEORGE HERRMA-NN;

REFERENCES CITED The following. referencesareof recordinthe:

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,109,127 Juengst Sept. 1,1191'4.1,738,180 Frazier Dec. 3,1929 2,020,027 Gore Nov. 5,193,551 2,058,005Donnellan Get. 20, 1936'. 2,165,535 Brownsey July 11, 1939"

